Taylor Hall has been a force for the New Jersey Devils despite not scoring very much. For the team to thrive moving forward, he needs to light the lamp.
Taylor Hall is the best player on the New Jersey Devils. That fact cannot be disputed. No matter what Jesper Bratt’s hot start or assist machine Will Butcher adds to this team, not to mention number-one overall pick Nico Hischier, Hall is still the one who brings the most to the table. He’s shown that at the start of this season, putting the puck in the perfect spot for linemates to score.
Hall has played very well despite losing his center before the season even start. Travis Zajac will be out at least another two months with a torn pectoral muscle. His chemistry with Hall helped him run the best line on the team last year. One that was expected to produce big numbers this season.
Hall has been great to start the season, so don’t take this as a slight, but he needs to score more.
The Devils scoring has come back to Earth after a ridiculous start. The team still ranks third in the NHL in scoring per game, but they are scoring at a torrid pace. In the first three games, the Devils scored 12 goals. The next five games they scored 14. Either way, this is still a much better offense last year, where the team scored a paltry 2.2 goals per game.
Because of the Devils scoring less, a player like Hall needs to light the lamp. He only has one goal, which came in a loss against the Washington Capitals. Two absolute robberies took goals away from him, but right now he has one goal in eight games. That’s on pace for ten goals for the season.
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Hall has eight assists this year. Clearly he’s playing very well. There is no chance that he will end the season with ten goals. However, he needs to start scoring now. The rookies will soon hit a wall, playing a much harder schedule than they did in Juniors/college. That’s where Hall must step up and make up for that lost production.
Give it time. Hall’s shot has been on point. A lot of this has to do with puck luck. He has 25 shots on goal, so he clearly has confidence in his shot. That shooting percentage of four is literally impossible to keep up. Hopefully it changes sooner rather than later.